Farewell For Now
“Farewell for Now”— 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
We are told in the Scriptures to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). I know several people who have lost loved ones recently. In times like this, we are given the opportunity for both weeping and rejoicing. Yet, there is a day coming when there will be no more sorrow for those who are in Christ. Jesus assured his disciples in saying: “you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). He did, indeed, leave John with a sorrowful farewell from the cross (see John 19:26-27), but John would soon learn that this was only a ‘farewell for now.’
This promise of endless joy and hope is a prospect that rings much more sweetly in these moments. We long for the day when our hearts, battered and broken by loss, are made forever new. We long for the day that is spoken of in Revelation 21:1–4…
“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
It is precisely because of this future hope that those who trust in Christ don’t mourn the death of a loved one as the world mourns. Followers of Christ don’t grieve as the world grieves… really?
It is not as though the pain does not run deep or that the aches won’t stick around.
It is not as though we somehow have thicker skin or that we are stronger than others.
It’s not about us at all… it’s only by the grace of an all-powerful God who gave his Son for us.
This reality is in the background of Paul’s words to the Thessalonians. He begins his letter by commending them for their faithfulness in much affliction and urging them to wait on the Lord in chapter 1. In chapter 2, after reminding them of his own ministry, he acknowledges the great suffering they have experienced as they followed his example, and he urges them to not give up hope for the better life that awaits them when Christ returns. He returns to this theme again in chapter 4 as he urges them to holy living in light of this better a better life in Christ. This better hope of a better life was what was to drive them to live life to its fullest now, not in simple selfish pursuits, but in love for one another and in the pursuit of pleasing God!
There is a point here that is comfort for those trusting in Christ. It is right in the middle of all of this that we read these words:
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”—1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
The reason that they can press on in the face of loss—especially the loss of loved ones—is because their hope goes beyond the grave! Because they believe that Jesus died and rose again, they can have confidence that these loved ones are not gone forever but have gone to be with Jesus even now and they will be raised again when Jesus returns—what a blessed hope! [
“For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”— 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
Those trusting in Christ are to encourage one another with these words because this means that our goodbyes are only temporary. Our ‘farewell’ is not forever but ‘farewell for now.’
We believe we will be reunited with our loved ones, not only in death, but in the return of Christ and the resurrection of our bodies—risen to live in the new heavens and new earth.
This is not merely a hope and a wish or apple pie in the sky. This is the promise of God’s Word, and it is for all who are willing to acknowledge and confess their sin before a holy God.
“None is righteous, no, not one… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:10, 23)
If this were the end of the story, we would have no hope. But this is precisely the point in which God shows his kindness to us. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us,” (Rom 5:8) and he did this to pay our sin-debt by the perfect sacrifice of his righteous life… “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23)
That gift is received by simple faith. It is not a result of works but is a gift of God’s grace by faith in Christ Jesus. Do you believe? If you have confessed your sin and placed trust in the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of your sin, you have the hope of eternal life and of the endless joy that awaits…
Therefore, encourage one another with these words.
Christ will come again. This is only farewell for now.
As fond memories of our loved ones bring tears of joy and deep aches that no earthly comfort can relieve, may we find comfort in a future that is secured by the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and may our hearts find rest in him alone.
Coram Deo.
